Pre colligeate hazing

Adelphean1851 · #1 03-29-2004, 05:36 AM

My freshman year of high school, I joined the drama club, at that time, my HIGH SCHOOL had an offically sanctioned "initation day" this day was the equivilent of a "hell week" in one day. All the student orgainzations on campus participated . During this event I was dressed up in mismatched clothes with bathing suit bottoms on outside of my shorts, I was made to carry a sign that said I belong to the drama club, and told to carry an egg around with me all day ( we were told that they were raw, but they had been hard boiled) Also, any member of my club could tell me what to do and I had to do it ie. roll my egg around the ground with my nose. I think the worst part was that my "big sis" (the one responsible for dressing me up) had put my hair up in a ponytail and knotted it up then she took hair sheen for black hair and put big globs of it all over. When I got home that day I tried to rinse it out of my baby fine white girl hair. I ended up with a big greasy mess and the knots were set into my hair, my haidresser had to wash my hair with baking soda and cut the knots out so i ended up loosing about 2 inches. I got a big apology from the drama club president the next day but apologys don't grow hair. After my freshman year "initation day" became "initation peroid" and finally I think the adminstration realized that they were playing with fire and got rid of it all together. Anyway I know compared to what some of these groups have been doing to people what I endured was minor but I find it a little disturbing in retrospect that this "tradition" was actually condoned my our administratiors for many years. There are pictures in the year book. In fact wouldn't something like this encorage hazing later in life say when joining a fraternity or sorority? Has anyone else expirenced anything like this?

#2 03-29-2004, 06:55 AM

My high school also had a Freshman Initiation Week.

It's held every 3rd week of September. The freshmen were paired up with the junior class, who acted as their "big sisters" (I went to an all girls Catholic school, btw). Just like how sororities do, juniors "pick" their little sisters.

My freshman year, the theme was "Back to the Future". None of the students are ever subjected to any kind of harm or emotional damage, IMO.

Anyway, each day had a different theme. We had special out of uniform days where little and big sisters dressed alike. I carried around a big plastic strawberry all week, and it was filled with candy. My big sister did the same because she wanted everyone to know that I was her little sister. The week was also filled with ice cream socials, freshman/junior breakfast, the week culminated with the Initiation Day Pep Rally where the freshmen paraded around the gym wearing costumes made by their big sisters. The ones who had the "best" costumes got a prize. I was Betty Rubble and my other freshman friends were the cast of the Flintstones.

No student was allowed to force their little sister to do anything she didn't want to do. Anyone who did anything like that got suspended.

When I was a junior, the theme was "We love TV", and my little sisters and my friends' little sisters dressed up like the Brady Bunch.

Ultra PC people would consider that hazing even if we didn't have to do half the things you had to, Adelphean1851. My niece went through her Freshman Initiation last September, so the traditions haven't changed at all. Some people might not agree with it, but it's been going on for 95 years now, and I doubt the administration will be getting rid of it anytime soon, providing that the girls don't eff it up for everyone else!

Lady Pi Phi · #3 03-29-2004, 11:47 AM

When I was in highschool the thing was 9ering. It had been going on for years, and every grade 8 student knew it was coming. Year before I got to school, the most damage that was done, was grade 9 students would have the word "9er" written on their face in magic marker. I dreaded that, but it was usually only done to grade 9 students that knew people in the higher grade. My friends and had it done, but the worst we got it was having "9er" written all over our arms. They left our face alone. This usually happened the first week of school. However, the year I went to highschool was the year it started to get out of hand. Not only was "9er" written all over their faces, kids had flower, sugar, oil, eggs, maple syrup poured all over them. One boy I knew we tossed into the trunk of a car (coverd in egg and maple syrup I might add) and driven around for a while.
One kid was duct taped to a chair and then to the flag pole in the rain.
Several students were arrested and charged/convicted of assult. several students were suspended. The administration put a stop to this.

_Lisa_ · #4 03-29-2004, 11:55 AM

The high schools in my area all have Reveler. Its a "high school sorority" if you will. Once you have received (and accepted) the invitation to rush you are automatically given a Big Sis. Your Big Sis is responsible for deciding what you wear each day for a week. You receive a bucket to fill w/ candy & a notebook for the Reveler girls to keep tabs on your credits/demerits. Each year the rules for rush change, but there are a few rules that stay the same: No makeup, no eating candy, no talking to boys (except teachers or family), and no shaving your legs. You are required to have 250 credits by the end of the week to continue (credits are given for the candy you have & only give to the Reveler girls, for following the rules, singing in the cafeteria or halls, wearing what your Big Sis picked out for you, proposing to boys, etc.) and your demerits are factored in to the credit value. If you have 250 credits you continue on to confession, which is when you confess for any rules you broke throughout the week but didn't get caught doing. Confession gets really messy because (regardless of whether you confessed anything or not they'll say you are lying) and you are covered w/ chocolate, peanut butter, syrup, & anything else sticky that can be found.
Some chapters of Reveler are less/more strict than the Reveler I was part of...another high school chapter (the chapter my sister was a member of) covered their girls in hydrogen peroxide (among other things) during Confession & a girl was allergic to it. It left burns all over her body.
Being a legacy I wasn't given any special treatment, although I doubt I would've gotten an invitation to rush otherwise. I've always thought that Reveler was fun, no one (for the most part, depending on chapter) gets hurt & if you don't want to follow a specific rule (the rules aren't a big deal), you do so knowing that you will most likely get demerits for it. You can either find ways to not get caught or try to get a lot of credits in another area. Its all in good fun!

TheEpitome1920 · #5 03-29-2004, 12:04 PM

What the heck is going on here? Are the administrators aware of this?

Lady Pi Phi · #6 03-29-2004, 12:52 PM

Our administrators were aware of what was going on. At my school when it was just the magic marker hazing the school turned a blind eye. As soon as got crazy they put a stop to it.
And at my school, it wasn't just suspensions. People were arrested and charged with assult. Some were convited.

_Lisa_ · #7 03-29-2004, 01:01 PM

The administrators are fully aware of what Reveler does on their school property or on school time, but unless a girl/parent complains it isn't an issue.

DeltAlum · #8 03-29-2004, 01:03 PM

High school hazing is not at all uncommon. It tends to be overlooked as long as no "harm" is done.

The situation recently in Chicago brought the dark side of high school hazing into focus.

_Lisa_ · #9 03-29-2004, 01:07 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DeltAlum
High school hazing is not at all uncommon. It tends to be overlooked as long as no "harm" is done.

I always thought that it should be looked at as no "harm" done until I realized that in other schools there was lots of harm being done. I'm not sure how Reveler is handled currently, but I do hope they are being more careful (not just my chapter, but the other high schools as well). Most of the girls I went to high school with asked me if I had been hazed when I joined Sigma Kappa & were surprised when I said no. I didn't realize it was because what Reveler would do was considered hazing.

LXAAlum · #10 03-29-2004, 04:41 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Adelphean1851
My freshman year of high school, I joined the drama club, at that time, my HIGH SCHOOL had an offically sanctioned "initation day"

Me, too! For the Thespian Society (same thing basically) - I had to dress as Snoopy, and submit to all bizarre manner of hazing - all the other Thespians came with rolled up newspapers and smacked me all day long.

Ugh....

The WORST hazing I ever experience, bar none, was the shell-back initiation in the Navy.

That was terrible - and dangerous. In fact the captain had to put a stop to part of it at one point.

valkyrie · #11 03-29-2004, 04:59 PM

Am I the only one who would quit an organization before I'd submit to being hazed like this? LOL, if anyone tried to write on my face or dump stuff on me or tell me what to wear, I certainly wouldn't do it (granted, I'm old enough to know better now but I don't think I would've done it even when I was younger).

_Lisa_ · #12 03-29-2004, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by valkyrie
Am I the only one who would quit an organization before I'd submit to being hazed like this? LOL, if anyone tried to write on my face or dump stuff on me or tell me what to wear, I certainly wouldn't do it (granted, I'm old enough to know better now but I don't think I would've done it even when I was younger).

In my family, I was expected to join Reveler. My mom was in Reveler, as was my sister. After realizing that what I was going to go through would be all in good fun (I can't speak for anyone else's hazing experience) I was able to take everything in stride. And I was able to bond w/ an amazing group of girls that provided a lot of support. Not a lot of high school age girls are able to find that kind of support in friends.

AGDee · #13 03-29-2004, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by valkyrie
Am I the only one who would quit an organization before I'd submit to being hazed like this? LOL, if anyone tried to write on my face or dump stuff on me or tell me what to wear, I certainly wouldn't do it (granted, I'm old enough to know better now but I don't think I would've done it even when I was younger).

co-sign

I have very strong bonds with friends from high school (even grade school) and with sorority sisters without ever enduring anything of the sort. I couldn't bond with someone who thought it was fun to demean or demoralize me.

Dee

_Lisa_ · #14 03-29-2004, 06:02 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by AGDee
co-sign

I have very strong bonds with friends from high school (even grade school) and with sorority sisters without ever enduring anything of the sort. I couldn't bond with someone who thought it was fun to demean or demoralize me.

Dee

And if what I went through was demeaning or demoralizing in any way there wouldn't be such a large push to join Reveler. Reveler is so popular because it is a wonderful, fun organization. Its fun. Sometimes its fun to laugh at yourself w/ others. Its good for the soul. At least no one was physically hurt in my chapter-we took good care of each other, I doubt I'll ever make better friends (except my Sigma K's of course)!

#15 03-29-2004, 06:18 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by valkyrie
Am I the only one who would quit an organization before I'd submit to being hazed like this? LOL, if anyone tried to write on my face or dump stuff on me or tell me what to wear, I certainly wouldn't do it (granted, I'm old enough to know better now but I don't think I would've done it even when I was younger).

In college, hell yes I would, and did.

However, I don't think I (or most girls) would have had the balls to do it at age 13 or 14, when being accepted is your entire world. Not that it makes it right, but I think it's a whole different world than it is at 18.